May 27, 2011

"... she's kind of an entertainer rather than a politician. She still has some sway with the grass roots, but she is not going to run."

So says somebody close to Romney, according to Byron York. Somebody close to Pawlenty says something similar: "I don't think she's going to run... She has faded a lot in the last few months. I look at what she's doing now and say that she's found a way to get back in the story."

These people are in the middle of raising money and attracting attention to their candidate, so it's in their strong interest to diminish the rise of Palin. York acknowledges that his unnamed confidantes may be "just spinning." But he says, these are "serious people," and they point at her "lack of a campaign operation."

"Watch what she has done," says the Republican close to Romney. "Has she contacted one major donor across the country about putting together an organization? Has she talked to one member of the Republican National Committee about working for a campaign, or one governor, or one former governor about working for a campaign? The answer is no."

Maybe these "serious people" should be called conventional people. What did these "serious people" say when Palin was doing most of her communication via Facebook? Did the serious people say that serious people do not talk to the press and the public by writing Facebook updates? Because that would be conventional. Conventional people saying you're not serious because you're not conventional. But what if Palin is out ahead of them, and they can't see it? I wonder what these serious people thought about the Tea Party as it emerged?

York sees this, sort of:

It's possible Palin is in fact running and believes she can do so in a way that's never been done before. Maybe she can. It's certainly been tried; in 2007, former Sen. Fred Thompson and a small group of aides conceived of a campaign that would rely on Internet videos, social media and lots of buzz to gain support, with less reliance on old-fashioned things like shaking hands, begging for money and courting state party chairmen. It didn't work.

Strange contradiction there: "never been done before"... it's been done before and it didn't work. If Palin has a another new way, then it hasn't been done before, and you can't say it didn't work, based on the fact that "it" didn't work. We'll have to see what Palin's new way would be. But suppose it is essentially the same as what Thompson tried. The fact that it didn't work the first time it was tried doesn't mean it won't work the second time. And, obviously Sarah is not Fred.

York sees that:

Of course, Palin is a far more ambitious politician than Thompson.

Yet the whole point of Fred was that he was the serious person. He was the adult in the room. Palin is the one so many people like to think of as a lightweight. Fred had an old-fashioned sort of gravitas, melded, perhaps, with some new ideas about how to campaign for President. It's 4 years later and Palin is a different person, with a different relationship to new (and old) media.

The serious, old-fashioned people are saying that there's a conventional, old-fashioned way to finance a campaign, and if Sarah Palin isn't using it, then she must not be running. And York is adding: If she is running, she will fail. But there may be a new way, despite what happened to Fred, and she may be doing it, and it may very well work. The Tea Party worked.

The reason it is obvious Ms. Palin is not running for President is that she has never shown any seriousness about governance...or, at least, to dedicating herself to it. She lucked into a position as right wing gadfly and she will try to milk it for whatever remuneration and prolongation of her celebrity as she can.

Never forget it was "serious, old-fashioned people" in the McCain campaign that did everything they could to destroy her once they saw her appeal and a chance she might move the campaign to the Right. Romney and T-Paw are from the same bolt.

Given that, I do think she's doing this to mess with the Lefties' and RINOs' heads, to show them, once again, she's a Hell of a lot smarter than they are and can wrap them around her little finger.

Every stop she makes, watch how everybody who hates her goes berserk trying to analyze every little nuance of what she does - or doesn't do.

And, no, I don't think she going to run.

Robert Cook said...

The reason it is obvious Ms. Palin is not running for President is that she has never shown any seriousness about governance...or, at least, to dedicating herself to it.

Sarah Palin can only win if there is a latent preference cascade out there. I believe that the purpose of her tour is to see if she can precipitate one, in which case her candidacy will depend on how much of a bump she gets in opinion polling.

If a cascade happens, fundraising will not be a problem for her. But big donors want to back likely winners.

Sarah Palin is a lot smarter than Mitt Romney because she's never been for an individual mandate.

Romney is Obama, only slightly lighter skinned. If you want a white Barack Obama, Mitt is your guy. Ask anyone from Massachusetts who had to live through his reign as governor.

He and Obama have essentially no difference of opinion on the important issues of the day.

I don't think people want a professional politician from the secret society like Romney back in office. We're tired of the way the secret societies of Harvard, and Yale and the Mormons (Harry Reid) run the country.

We want change.

If that means we have to destroy the Republican Party to get it, oh well then so be it. That would be unfortunate and will be a sad day. But it will happen.

Sarah Palin is going to run. It's just that she may not run as a Republican. So, doesn't really matter what Mitt Romney thinks since he's going the way of the Whigs.

The more I think about it the more I hope she runs. Not only would it make the most interesting race by far, but, who knows, maybe she has learned something over the last four years. It will be interesting to see her positions on trade and immigration.

Serious question. How much, honestly, do you think Cain could split the black vote? I absolutely believe he cleaned house in the SC stealth debate and tend to like what I know of the guy. Let's just admit this...they can't go after him for inexperience.

On the other hand, isn't he a stage 4 cancer survivor? Can that be used against him?

She's not going to run a conventional campaign BECAUSE OF THE FEC. The Federal Election Commission has rules for candidates that require candidates to disclose information to their political enemies - entrenched in Washington - so that those enemies can destroy candidates who threaten their structure.

We're routing around that spy network.

So, no, by the SEC's definition, Sarah's not running for anything yet.

The problem with this reasoning is that GOP primary voters happen to be pretty conventional people, so it's reasonable to expect them to nominate a pretty conventional candidate running a pretty conventional campaign.

Because Mitt “I’m for a mandate; it’s the one thing I will NOT flip-flop on” Romney has NO vested interest in Palin not running….It’s like asking McDonalds whether or not Burger King is going to introduce a tasty new addition to their menu. Slow news cycle….

The Establishment is running scared…Palin’s NOT running….the field is CLOSED….It’s too late for anyone else to enter….Oh OK, sure, sure that way YOUR guyz have an easier run at the nomination….Puh-leeeze.

I'm not taking anything seriously that comes from her potential opponents, but it has been my opinion that she isn't serious about running as well. But then I went into all that in the other thread.

Conventional people saying you're not serious because you're not conventional.

I'm very interested in this whole concept that all the "conventional" actions are wrong. It's conventional to have experience, to raise funds, to do traditional things like hire campaign managers...does that mean that we should reject people who do that? Railing against conventional "thinking" on the other hand I can get behind.

"I find it dishonorous when so called candidates start asking for money only to tell us later they are not running."

So do I ... and that's why I like Sarah Palin. She actually tells you precisely what she will do with your donation.

SarahPAC:"I’ll be supporting commonsense conservative candidates in crucial off-year elections and doing all that I can to ramp up our preparations for 2012. And I promise to join you in holding new members of Congress accountable to ensure that they live up to their campaign promises to rein in out-of-control government spending and to repeal and replace the massive, burdensome, and unwanted Obamacare bill."

Sarah is supporting OTHER candidates, like-minded candidates, with your donations. (Like it or not, this is how you establish the kind of donor network required to win a national election.)

If you support common sense Constitutional candidates, you can donate here:

I hope she doesn't run but I hope she goes Rhino hunting and hangs those horns in her den.

Right next to the rug made out of AL Gores favorite polar bear.

She'd be doing the country a favor.

Never forget, the Demos just love their little RINOs and I'm sure Miss Sarah would love settling some scores.

Shouting Thomas said...

Trooper, wouldn't you like to fit Sarah for her presidential bra?

That would certainly be a solemn occasion.

Her or Michelle Bachmann, Nikki Haley, or Susana Martinez.

As long as it isn't Helen Thomas.

Scott M said...

Serious question. How much, honestly, do you think Cain could split the black vote? I absolutely believe he cleaned house in the SC stealth debate and tend to like what I know of the guy. Let's just admit this...they can't go after him for inexperience.

On the other hand, isn't he a stage 4 cancer survivor? Can that be used against him?

Sad to say, I think too many blacks have been brainwashed by the Left over the last 40 years for Cain to get much of the black vote now. After all, trying to get ahead in a legal manner is "acting white" for many blacks.

If conditions really get that much worse in a year's time (and I think they will), then all bets are off, but, failing that,...

As for his cancer survival, all Cain has to do is pull a Donald Trump and demand Little Zero's medical records - which we've never seen.

PS For those interested, Herman Cain is a very accomplished man:

He was a mathematician for the U.S. Navy

He has an advanced degree in computer science from Perdue. No mean feat. Perdue is a very tough engineering school, for those who don't know

He served as a Federal Reserve Bank chairman in Kansas City

He was Chairman of the National Restaurant Association

He was the CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, which he managed to turn from bankruptcy into a competitive pizza chain.

This 'Palin is a quitter' meme only resonates with people who already hate her. The rest of us see her passing the mantle of governorship on when and why she did as a brilliant move, especially given the way she has very successfully spent her time since.

She harasses her opposition relentlessly and effectively, and has proven herself adept at nearly everything she has tried, from speech-making to television. She's the only one who repeatedly takes the fight to the enemy. As governor, she fought corruption within her own party and won, fer crissakes.

All that and more without an Ivy league education or connections.

That's what gets her detractors all wee-wee'd up, and that's why she'll get my vote hands down if she runs.

Ha. It's funny contrasting the comments to the linked article to all the "smart" commenters here.

With notable exceptions.

I would venture to suggest they represent a much more accurate sampling of the average Republican voter, and they are pretty solidly behind Sarah.

I have to laugh at the idea that she needs to serve in a cabinet position before some of you will deem her fit for the Presidency. Jesus it's almost like your bunch of Beltway insiders. Can you say out of touch?

When Ms. Sarah resigned her lieutenant governor took her place and with little fanfare away from the limelight is successfully continuing her policies and "bi-partisan" way of governing. A boon for Alaska.

It is not so much a polician's position on an issue that counts, as his/her intention and ability to implement those ideas.

The media - and the Left- have spent over 3 years hanging on her every word and trying to destroy her. That's had one positive - people know her name and she has an enormous base of support. She only has to give the word and people will flock to her campaign and start ringing door bells. She only has ask for money on the internet and they will contribute. She doesn't need big donors.

Nor does she need to set up an organization or start running right now. Unlike Pawlenty or Romney she can wait till the Fall. She also could be waiting for Bachmann to run so she can support her.

She hasn't even announced and she's in the number 2 position right behind Romney. She'll be the leader the minute she enters the fray. The Republican base dwarfs the "serious" RINO strategeriests and the Republican base loves Sarah.

People seem to forget, or they never knew because they're too young, about Ronald Reagan, pre-presidency. He was too kookily conservative, too stupid, as a 3rd rate actor, not serious, so he didn't have a chance. And that's what the rino's like Gerald Ford were saying about him. The left said all that, plus they hated him and feared him. Joan Baez even sang a song at Woodstock dedicated to "Governor Ronald Ray Gun," way back in 1969, 11+ years before he became president. The media of the day picked up the "he doesn't have a chance" meme and showed him trailing Carter in the polls all the way up until election day in 1980, when Reagan won going away. The comparison to Palin isn't perfect, but it has some eery similarities.

Palin governed a welfare state (2d highest per capita receipt of TANF, WIC, SNAP, etc) where almost 5% of the people work for the state and everyone gets a check to live there courtesy of the oil companies, i.e. socialism.

She's a RINO of the first order. When Palin says she's against death panels, what she means is the taxpayers should be on the hook for old people's medical care, even if those seniors have assets themselves to pay for their own health care.

I say let Obama gut Medicare. We can't afford it.

Let Sarah go back to governing Norway while complaining about how abortion (which has been legal everywhere in the U.S. for 40 years) is destroying the U.S. and gay marriage will finish it off.

Let the gays get married. They aren't asking me to pay for their kids' school lunches and healthcare.

When Palin proposes the U.S. cut the benefits their fellow Alaskans thrive on or when she, finally, says Alaska has way to many state employees, then I'll take her seriously.

But the oil companies aren't going to pay for most of us to citizen around and the government isn't going to employee the rest of us. In other words, we don't want the U.S. to look like Alaska.

Newt is done. He's also an idiot, "big ideas" or no. Yes, we need creative thinkers, but we need good people more, and Mr. I'm-on-my-third-adultery-based-marriage isn't a good person. (He's the kind of person Arianna Huffington's attracted to.) He's a lying pile and we should show him the door. There's no place for him in the new conservatism.

I find it hilarious that the two stick men that are the quietest and most non threatening have hired and sent out attack teams to plant the idea that Palin is a gold digger in politics for money, and is only an entertainer. Those are subtle assertions that there is a woman out of her place and acting like a man. But it is clear to me that this woman is a better man for the job than Mittie or Timmie.

Remind me again, how much money Scott Brown raised in a handful of weeks, all thanks to the internet and a few bloggers shilling for him?

Multiply that by a lot, and that's what Palin can do.

You're right, Anne, that she's not conventional; neither is the TEA Party... which is pretty much why the establishment GOP hates them both.

Robert Cook says:"The reason it is obvious Ms. Palin is not running for President is that she has never shown any seriousness about governance...or, at least, to dedicating herself to it. She lucked into a position as right wing gadfly and she will try to milk it for whatever remuneration and prolongation of her celebrity as she can."

First of all, I think Palin proudly wears the "Mrs." badge...

But, to your point: Are you flipping serious? This woman has been in politics from school board to city council to mayor to governor. She took on HER OWN PARTY and the corruption and cronyism which was running rampant in it. At every step of the way, she's been fighting an uphill battle. And you think she's some dilettante because she quite as governor when a bunch of pests filed nuisance suits costing her and the state of Alaska millions of dollars in legal fees. (Suits the left KNEW would tie her up and keep her from devoting her time and effort to serving the people of Alaska.)

During the last election cycle she put her efforts toward helping many candidates win their offices, with her endorsements and personal appearances.

You're plain ignorant of facts if you think she's not serious about politics. But then, I'd expect nothing less from someone who's bought the LSM's biased narrative about Palin.

America needs all the creative thinkers she can get her hands on, nevadabob, and Newt is noted to be one by both sides of the aisle, whether he wins anything or nothing.

Quite Creative to banging the Intern/Staff whilst prosecuting Clinton for lying about an intern….Great idea to campaign for ethanol subsidies, when they make food more costly and don’t aid “energy independence”, great idea to sit on a couch with Nancy Pelosi and talk about “Climate Change”, great idea to support Scavvefazza, great idea to cut Paul Ryan off at the knees, and then a BRILLIANT idea, in an attempt to walk it back, to claim you were blindsided by meet the Press, because hey the first THIRTY-FOUR TIMES you were on it you didn’t figure out how to do an interview.

Newt is the smartest man for yards about, and he’ll never let you forget it…and whenever there is something on tap he wants to be a part of that conversation, so he can show just how smart he is….Sorry Newt is a has-been, RINO…..

Look doofus he won’t gut it, HE’LL RAISE OUR TAXES TO PAY FOR IT and in a choice between raising our taxes and angering older voters, I can tell you that will the choice taken. Man you are stupid….I do apologize for my attack. It’s is simply you cat as IF, when the crisis comes, THEN the program will end…yeah that’s EXACTLY what has happened in Greece isn’t it? We can REFORM a la Ryan, which Palin supports, or we can let the train wreck occur, with fearsome political/social effects…

McCullough you seem a libertarian, here’s a news flash libertarians represent less votes than the Green Party…the most reliable Fiscal CONSERVATIVE position are taken by the most SOCIALLY Conservative…the number of “Let gays marry, but cut my taxes” is an very small minority, in both Congress and the voting public. So you’d better get used to Pro-Life and Low-Taxes being side-by-side, because assuredly gentlemen if we don’t all hang together we shall assuredly hang separately.

Palin governed a welfare state (2d highest per capita receipt of TANF, WIC, SNAP, etc) where almost 5% of the people work for the state and everyone gets a check to live there courtesy of the oil companies, i.e. socialism.

No one knows who Sean Parnell is? Sean Parnell generates no publicity when he announces he’s going to DC for Memorial Day and then take a tour of the Northeast? Sean Parnell doesn’t have several million Facebook friends? Sean Parnell hasn’t forced the Congressional Democrats to change ObamaCare in response to one Facebook post (Death Panels)? Do I need to go on?

Seeing Red said... Palin governed a welfare state (2d highest per capita receipt of TANF, WIC, SNAP, etc) where almost 5% of the people work for the state and everyone gets a check to live there courtesy of the oil companies, i.e. socialism.

I'm not much of a fan of Palin, but I'm certainly no fan of our Professional Campaign industry, which insists that anyone who doesn't play (or pay) by their rules is "not a serious candidate" and desperately tugs at every available sleeve to get their message (pay me!) across.

"Has she contacted one major donor across the country about putting together an organization?"

He is talking about using "bundlers", a few rich donors call their rich friends to contribute. President Bush had "Pioneers". This is a traditional way to raise funds.

It is hardly the exclusive way. Does anyone doubt she can raise a large amount of funds by small donations using the internet? It doesn't take that much money to campaign in Iowa anyways, ask Mike Huckabee who could not raise 2 cents last time but easily won Iowa.

"Has she talked to one member of the Republican National Committee about working for a campaign, or one governor, or one former governor about working for a campaign? The answer is no."

Ok, who cares about RNC members? They are not "workers", they are more rich people active in the party. They cannot influence anyone but their friends and family.

Plus, they are "Establishment" figures. Palin, if she runs, will run as an anti-Establishment populist. She doesn't want RNC members.

Governors and ex-governors? Endorsements are useful only to raise a candidate's profile. Does anyone not know Sarah Palin?

I don't know if she is running or not of course but these are the lamest markers imaginable.

Can she win, the nomination, assuredly…as someone pointed out, NOT in the race she’s second to Mitt “I will NOT admit my mistake” Romney….can she beat Obama, I like to think/hope so…we’ll see. A lot depends on her, of course, and where the US economy is, in 2012….Certainly Obama is beatable, but I don’t think Mr Mitt RomneyCare can do it, and I don’t think Tim Pawlenty has the sand in the craw to take it to Obama, but we’ll have to wait and see what November 2012 says.

'On the unassailable-from-a-victimhood-sheister scale, that's almost as good as Palin/Cain.'

Not sure of this. I don't think that ANY republican P/VP ticket isn't going to be assailed by the left in the most hypercritical way. The idea that Palin being a woman...' will be played hard. Never officially, and Obama will disavow it, but it'll be there just as the 'Uncle Tom' charge will be ast against Cain (recall Condalezza Rice's treatment by the left).

The key is to have a candidate who will punch back vigorously and quickly enough to keep that sort of false narrative from taking hold.

I think Palin is up to this. I think West is. I know that Christie is (expecting the weight issue to be the one used against him). I do not know that Bachman is - she has that tendency to try to keep the debate honest and on the up and up that will doom her against efforts to define her from a left that owns no such honesty. Palin had similar tendencies in 2008 but she's since learned to take no prisoners when it comes to false narratives.

Neither Romney (Mormon) nor Pawlenty (general nerdiness) will punch back as quick and hard as it'll take. Both are accommodating sorts. I do not yet know enough about Cain to have a feel for him.

It's not as crazy as it sounds. Just the audaciousness of it would create buzz, surely bringing in a lot of women voters, maybe even including many liberal women who on the secret ballot in the privacy of the voting booth would go the other way.

She lucked into a position as right wing gadfly and she will try to milk it for whatever remuneration and prolongation of her celebrity as she can.

You obviously know nothing about her and her record in Alaska. She ran against the Republican machine there and her governing was far from "right wing." She did not let her social conservatism get into her actions as governor. I don't know if she is running or could win but you know nothing about her.

She lucked into a position as right wing gadfly and she will try to milk it for whatever remuneration and prolongation of her celebrity as she can.

Yeah that’s it, she’s in it for the MONEY…I mean the Clintons, just LUCKED into the $100 million fortune and the Obama’s just found the $4-5 million they made last year, from book sales…and Newt, he gives all the book royalties to breast cancer research/pro bono divorce lawyers.

Obama won through being conventional. Howard Dean lost by being unconventional.

Candidates who do the work win.

Little Zero won by lying through his small c commie teeth until he met Joe The Plumber.

Dr Demento lost because he freaked out in front of the network news cameras.

There are a million different ways to . Rove and others innovated ways to contact and communicate with people. Direct mail, email, social media.

If you believed Lynch, all candidates would still be doing whistle stop tours.

PS What Seeing Red said. mccullough/PB&J is lying through his teeth (surprise!) calling the oil revenue socialism. It is a dividend of the Alaska Permanent Fund, a corporation which manages public investment.

Always keep in mind, mccullough/PB&J will want you to believe Willie Whitewater was a Conservative and Reagan wasn't.

"Has she contacted one major donor across the country about putting together an organization? Has she talked to one member of the Republican National Committee about working for a campaign, or one governor, or one former governor about working for a campaign? The answer is no."

Dumb fucks. (Pardon my French, but it's the only way to describe them.)

The only way Sarah Palin can run and win is to completely avoid the traditional, conventional apparatus. The conventional, left and right, are terrified of her.

Will she run? Who knows? But she has them jumping like frogs in a hot skillet.

The way the establishment-types have acted, the GOP is unworthy of Sarah Palin. And a large part of me thinks that she should run only when all you Palin haters bend over and kiss her ass.

That said, anyone who is not a fool (and I know that disqualifies the entire Romney operation), should be begging for Palin be involved. Whether she officially runs or not, Sarah Palin is going to be like the Marines, storming the beaches and taking it to the enemy.

Since they don't have spines themselves, the other candidates are going to need the Sarahcudda to not only fight, but to do what she has done before -- seize and set the terms of the debate, rather than letting the terms be set by the Dems, MSM, etc.

If it worked in Egypt and Tunisia, it can work here. We can overthrow the tyrant, install a newly annointed one, who will give us new ideas and hope. We will be happy again. America will be exceptional once more. Just one more election can change "everything". After that, we're set for life.

By the way, look out for the Palin Seminar commenters/callers. You know them -- "I used to like Palin a lot and was a big supporter, etc., but she has disappointed me and now I see that she's a quitter and dumb and merely a media whore."

Haven't read all the comments yet, but has anyone floated the idea that Palin isn't looking for the Republican nod, but might try a third party run?

Because:1) She has no desire to be reviled like Perot or Nader? You know “giving” the election to the other side?2) She has given no indication she’s NOT a “good” Republican? She didn’t leave the GOP in Alaska for a third party, but instead TOOK IT OVER, so why would she leave a much larger, looser, far more friendly national GOP. George Will may not like her, the Davids may not like her, Kathleen Parker may not like her, but they aren’t anything close to the majority of the GOP, and millions of GOP members DO like her and contribute.3) She’s a “winner” and third party candidates don’t win, they make “points”? And I don’t think she wants to make a point but make a policy?

Meanwhile, the conventional thinking is again 180 degrees wrong. The earlier a candidate gets in is not better. Only bad things can happen from declaring too early.

For one thing, that only puts a target on your back for Dems, MSM, etc. to try to tear you down. The longer you can avoid direct fire, the better.

For another thing, it is a long time before November 2012, and people are going to be even more bored with the current crop of dullards than they are now. Romney passed his expiration date three years ago, and yet like a zombie his corpse keeps on going. Same with Newt, Rudy, etc. Better that a candidate waits until late fall 2011 to officially jump in. Play it coy until then and let a groundswell build so that supporters push you in, rather than you jumping in all alone and trying to pull in support.

I hear you, Crack, but how about we instead think of Newt, Palin or any other political person, as being part of some "new conversation".

You know...where we sit down together to talk about how to resolve some of America's worst problems... instead of talking about each other.

How about instead of a “conversation” we win an election and make policy? Democrats LOVE “conversations” they allow Democrats to harangue Republicans about their racism, sexism, bigotry, homophobia and desire to throw granny off a cliff, and they cause Republicans to TALK, instead of act…. …did Pelosi and Obama call for a conversation on National Healthcare Reform? No, please notice, the time for talk had passed….

You want a conversation with Newt, fine, show up at his house…if you’re good looking Penny, he might find a goodly amount of time to ‘converse” with you…certainly after a few months in this campaign he will have LOTS of free time on his hands for a “Conversation.” In fact, I see him as a talking head for CNN or MSNBC or one of the Big Three, soon, kind of like Brooks or Frum, you know Republicans that don’t mind criticizing Republicans, for a pay cheque?

According to the latest PPP poll 11% believe The Rapture will happen in their lifetime. Of those 66% believe they will be taken to heaven and of those same folks 35% believe Sarah Palin will be taken to heaven while 32% think she will not.

People seem to forget, or they never knew because they're too young, about Ronald Reagan, pre-presidency. He was too kookily conservative, too stupid, as a 3rd rate actor, not serious, so he didn't have a chance.

Reagan had eight years as governor of a huge state under his belt. I would be happy if Palin followed that model!

Fen it’s not “Quitting” the new term is “Abdicating”…

Heh. It actually feels a little crazy to me that people are running around yelling at you for using the term “quit” for quitting your job.

And WaPo can take its snark regarding the motorcycle thing and stuff it.

Seriously. It makes me homesick for DC thinking about the motorcycles buzzing around town all weekend!

A year ago I bet a friend that Palin would never be a candidate for the Presidency. I still believe that despite whatever criticisms Ann can level at Byron York and his sources.

Look at the history of this woman through the lens of the fame game, the largest growth industry in journalism. What we are seeing is a very smart monetizing of this potential that she might actually run. She has brilliantly parlayed her fame (she is, after all, one notch above the Kardasians or Paris Hilton in that she did actually serve as governor and run for V.P.)into a lucrative career on the speech/TV/book circuit.

In recent weeks she has fallen off the radar and she and her PR "people" found a way to juice up the coverage of her by scaring the bejesus out of the media, who have once again dutifully and predictably played their part in this celeb-media game.

Everybody wins, except anyone who is willing to bet against me on this proposition.

Look at the history of this woman through the lens of the fame game, the largest growth industry in journalism. What we are seeing is a very smart monetizing of this potential that she might actually run. She has brilliantly parlayed her fame (she is, after all, one notch above the Kardasians or Paris Hilton in that she did actually serve as governor and run for V.P.)into a lucrative career on the speech/TV/book circuit.

This is where I have been on the whole thing and I really hope that’s what it is. I respect that as a position. If she wanted to be president, I would expect a different kind of campaign. But we’ll see, I guess.

Youre the Sullivan,here chickie. Sullivan was a chickenhawk on the war and GOP until a year or so ago--yr kinda guy, Chickie. Pro business log cabin Larry Craig GOP sort.

The usual Gump-House fallacies--mention the actual FACTs of Palin's record (like that she did censor books up in AK land, and opposed evolution for some time, pulls for Big Oil), and the AA gumps start to squeal. lie, insult, etc. How the peasant rightist mind works.

I'm very interested in this whole concept that all the "conventional" actions are wrong. It's conventional to have experience, to raise funds, to do traditional things like hire campaign managers...does that mean that we should reject people who do that? Railing against conventional "thinking" on the other hand I can get behind.

When the MSM has destroyed Sarah Palin and the conventional powers-that-be in the GOP are A-OK with it, why not do an end-run around them?

"Yeah that’s it, (Palin's) in it for the MONEY…I mean the Clintons, just LUCKED into the $100 million fortune and the Obama’s just found the $4-5 million they made last year, from book sales…and Newt, he gives all the book royalties to breast cancer research/pro bono divorce lawyers."

"You obviously know nothing about (Palin) and her record in Alaska. She ran against the Republican machine there and her governing was far from 'right wing.'"

Why do you assume I'm even talking about her self-aborted governership? I'm talking about the goldmine of celebrity and highly paid personal appearances she lucked into after having been picked from obscurity to be McCain's running mate. Whatever her views may be or might have been, whatever her governing style, her rhetoric since achieving celebrity has been boiler-plate far right blah de blah. She's pandering for bucks and fame.

The usual Gump-House fallacies--mention the actual FACTs of Palin's record (like that she did censor books up in AK land, and opposed evolution for some time, pulls for Big Oil), and the AA gumps start to squeal. lie, insult, etc. How the peasant rightist mind works.

You've got those Soros/TPM talking points down pretty well, except for the fact that they have been debunked. I'm sure that will pose no impediment to your rhetoric.

My POINT is Cookie, funny how other politicians, DEMOCRATS get rich and no one seems to think, “Oh they’re just in it fer the money”…Double Standard…like the “What about her family” Well what about Romenys’ Bidens, or Obama’s? In short, we set up “standards” for Palin don’t seem to set up for others….I mean it’s just as fair to say Obama was in it fer the money, warn’t it?

Oh Yes Joe Horgan it’s all about “monetizing” I’m sure I mean weren’t there EASIER ways of monetizing besides having to put up with the likes of Cho, Maher and the like? Funny, again, no one talks about Jesse Jackson “monetizing” but Palin, OF COURSE, that’s all she’s in it for….

With 3 million Facebook "friends," she has a big megaphone without spending a dime. And she has a basketful of chits she can cash in. How many newly elected owe her for their wins? Many! How much money has she helped raise for others? Big bucks!

Just because she hasn't been as visible lately to be the whipping gal for every reporter, opponent and every lefty, doesn't mean she has been silent or not exerting influence behind the scenes.

Sarah Palin has always been unconventional in her approach to winning and although her approach might not work for any other, it has been successful for her. Do not underestimate her, she really is much much smarter than she has been given credit for being.

The dirty little secret of the Robert Cooks of the world is they can only imagine greed and avarice as a motive because that is in fact their only motive underneath their high handed moralizing rhetoric.

The reason they are radical egalitarian leftists in the first place is due to their deep envy of the wealthy and powerful. They covet that wealth and power but since they don't have the brains, skill, or luck to acquire wealth and power they resort to trying to improve their status by becoming self righteous moral standard bearers fighting for the little guy (themselves) against the wealthy and powerful (those they wish they could be).

I know scores of people just like him. To a man they are selfish, clutching people whose greed and envy are only outdone by their sanctimoniousness.

It is inconceivable to a Robert Cook that Sarah Palin's love for her country eclipses her desire for fame and fortune because it's simply not a part of his world. He HATES his country. That's all he can grasp.

they haven't been debunked, trash--all part of her record--. Your typical attempt at guilt by association(why, that's against Palin, like d-Kos people are--- yikes!) as pathetic as like yr lot lizard mama. And lets not forget ..yr the perp , teabugger, like yr hero Sarah, Big oil babe.

Paul - the problem for Robert Cook and his type are their conventional thinking. They are all trapped in yesterday's mode of politics. They don't realize that Sarah has already done an end-run around THEM and their hate-machine.

I'm simply going to quote from a commenter at a recent AOS thread on Sarah.

She has been doing IPB since the last battle. OPFOR has been and is continuing info ops since the election. She is now starting her shaping operation. Strategic thinkers were worried enough to set an ambush in AK to eliminate the threat. Amateurs focus on tactics, pros work logistics. Intent was to bankrupt her with bogus ethics requests and further tarnish reputation. Financially ruined she would not be a challenge. She did the one thing a real politician would/could not do. Maneuver out of the kill zone. Second and third order effect, it increased her maneuver area. And filled the war chest. Sounds like someone did not war-game the "most dangerous COA". http://tinyurl.com/3zoqua7

I think ...I hope ...that H1 [the quote] is right ...and that she's concentrating more on a Sun Tzu or Clauswitz approach than the CW.

Ah Alex were it only that. Beyond conventional thinking the Robert Cooks have serious unresolved emotional issues that shape their worldview in the most cynical and hateful manner. They counterbalance it with an exaggerated sense of their own moral supremacy, making for an entirely toxic package all the way around. We all know people like him.

I do agree that Sarah Palin is probably not running -- and is far more powerful as an opinion-maker and fundraiser/power-broker than as a candidate, right now. (Much as I like her, I'd have trouble supporting someone with less than two years as governor.)

However...

Weren't these same arguments being made against Senator Barack Obama by Senator Hillary Clinton not that long ago?

(In passing... wouldn't Sarah Palin make a phenomenal Secretary of Energy, in the aftermath of a campaign where gas prices will be a significant national issue?)

"The dirty little secret of the Robert Cooks of the world is they can only imagine greed and avarice as a motive because that is in fact their only motive underneath their high handed moralizing rhetoric. "

We don't we call a spade a spade. Palin's a cheap stupid floozie who follows orders from white trash scum--ie McCain, military, oil, finance, AIPAC. They might as well run Vegass showgirls or blackjack dealers. Jenna Jameson for Prez!

If we nominate Herman Cain, it should be because of who he is and what he stands for, not because of the color of his skin

His ownership of that SC debate had nothing to do with his skin color. I'm still reading up on the guy, but I like what I've seen so far. Give me a guy that's struggled to make payroll on his own over a career politician any day.

We're going to need someone (preferably not the Candidate) to take point against all the ludicrous arguments the MSM will throw at us. He's shown a remarkable aptitude for this, and I think his down-to-earth talk would play as well nationally as it has in New Jersey.

Re: Herman Cain -- I actually like some of the things I've heard about him, too. I love the fact that he apparently answered a question by admitting that he didn't know enough to have a strong position. We *never* hear that from candidates.

I'm clearly going to have to go watch the "stealth" debate, at some point...

My Life Partner and I heard Cain speak once, well prior to this year…he was PHENOMENAL, the Partner still loves him!

But, BUT…he loses me with the “I don’t have a Strategy on the War on Terror”…and I think the problem is he’s from business and engineering…THERE you crunch your numbers, and come up with solutions….Government ISN’T business or engineering….there are NO “right” answers, there are better and worse answers, there are DIFFERENT answers, bearing differing positive and negative benefits….

And if Cain thinks, “Well I’ll just listen to the Eggspurts and we’ll run the numbers” well guess what, it won’t happen….the Eggspurts doan agree…you can approach Terrorism from 3, equally valid PoV…Ignore it- more folks die of Heart Attacks than Terrorism, in America, Prosecute it-the Clinton choice, and NOT an indefensible one, Wage a “War” on it-The Bush Choice. And there are valid arguments for and against all three and well-qualified and well-read “experts” to advocate for each one. A POTUS who thinks that the experts will provide him/her with any guidance is a …fool. It’s the POTUS’ job to provide the Vision and the Strategy, the experts fill in the blanks…

Bottom-Line: Cain has, to me, a badly flawed view of the role of the POTUS, in the National Security realm…plus the whole, “My plan to fix the deficit/debt won’t work now” is pretty lame…for me Cain is NOT ready for Prime Time, for Veep, sure…for Council of Economic Advisors, sure, POTUS…No.

clint - I don't like Christie because I know he'll trash the Ryan plan and Palin. He's a RINO who's useful in New Jersey, nothing else."

I'm not sure why you think that.

A quick google pulls up this quote: -- “Listen, I think that there’s got to be a credible plan that’s put forward that deals with entitlements in a serious way," said Christie on the red carpet of MSNBC's White House Correspondents Dinner after-party. "And, you know, I think Congressman [Paul] Ryan’s got a good set of ideas there. Whether it’s the only way to go, we’ll wait and see." --

That doesn't sound like trashing the Ryan plan, to me.

He may well be "RINO" when it comes to some social issues, but I honestly could care less about civil unions right now. I want someone who is serious about reining in big government, taking on the public sector unions, and getting our fiscal house in order --- which means getting serious on entitlements. Everything else is negotiable.

The usual Gump-House fallacies--mention the actual FACTs of Palin's record (like that she did censor books up in AK land, and opposed evolution for some time, pulls for Big Oil), and the AA gumps start to squeal. lie, insult, etc. How the peasant rightist mind works."

I call troll.

I can imagine someone who doesn't know any better thinking she censored books or opposed evolution.

I can even imagine someone thinking she said that she could see Russia from her front porch.

I can't imagine anyone who's given it a moment's thought thinking that Sarah Palin is a shill for Big Oil.

Oh that’s right it’s the “Intellectual Stammer” which, even though I am a Conservative, I DESPISED Wm F. Buckley for….but of course with Obama he’s an “intellectual’ whose brain is SOOOO fast his mouth can’t keep up, anyone else is an idiot….right tell yourself this. And the point is the “stammer” is an affectation…it was a STUPID affection of Buckley’s and it’s equally stupid of Obama.

Based on millions of Americans mixed heritage, what the fuck is that supposed to mean?

The racial identity crowd makes big bones about it quite often, or don't you pay attention?

Try looking up anything attempting to explain away the per capita income of African immigrant blacks versus American born blacks. It will become clear fairly quickly that there's a whole lot of, "you're not really black" isms going on.

How so,…if I’m the “Joe” t which you speak…Newt said he opposed RIGHTWING Social Engineering as much as Leftwing Social Engineering, when speaking of the Ryan Plan…he meant it; it was his “plan” to distance himself from Ryan, making him more visible and acceptable to Seniors. It generated so much, almost, instantaneous grief, from the Right, that he has been walking backwards since then, and may well have sunk, what little chance, he ever had, of being the nominee.

Christie’s OK, for a RINO, Open Borders, Socially Liberal, Gun-Grabbing Northeast Republican, whose major shtick is to release YouTube video’s of himself beating up on NJEA advocates….Honestly, he’s FAR superior to Corzine or “It’s MY Party Too” Christine Todd-Whitman…but, like Scott Brown, he’ll never be able to secure an nomination, UNLESS everything East of Virginia secedes. It’s Romney’s problem too, you can be the Governor or Massachusetts OR the GOP nominee, but you can’t be both.

I was just pointing out that there were about 7 times the number of Cult of Obama followers as Cult of Palin followers.

Some people on this thread keep talking about Palin's facebook posts being her "unconventional weapon." Obama is going to use facebook as well. He's very good at it. He's also going to raise a lot of money, do interviews with Fox and the other "Lame-Stream Media" companies, etc.

Perhaps Republicans should get behind a candidate with some policy knowledge, some experience in governing, and some character if they want to win the election next year. Pawlenty seems like a good candidate, certainly the best out there.

You Cult of Palin followers are like Pauline Kael. You talk only to each other, so you've think she has a shot at the Republican nomination and, worse, a shot at the Presidency.

Palin continues to display her ignorance about fiscal and foreign policy issues. At this point, she is wilfully ignorant. She certainly was treated unfairly by the media last time, but her knowledge base was weak. She apparently has not educated herself about the stuff a president needs to know since then. She is a sloganeer. That's it. At this point, she has only herself to blame.

Yes. Being the Father of Modern Conservatism is all he gets from me…he was, as a friend of mine once aptly said, just a “Puff-fart”…you just think if you prick him with a needle, he’ll just go *Poof* and fly away, leaving a trail of fart-gas…. So insult WFB all you want, or try to defend an affectation with WFB all you want, but it won’t wash with me.

Palin continues to display her ignorance about fiscal and foreign policy issues. At this point, she is wilfully ignorant.

I agree TOTALLY like the time she said Israel should without any pre-condition accept her 1967 borders…or when she advocated a Trillion Dollar Stimulus that filed…or when…OH WAIT, that’s OBAMA…

At this point you’ve revealed yourself not a ‘libertarian” but simply a tool…WILLFULLY ignorant….it is to laugh.The ONLY "joke" here is you and the rest of the teabaggers who just can't stand having President Obama doing such a good job.

*WOW* and if a Republican POTUS was “succeeding” like this, hi gas prices, hi unemployment, 1.8% growth, three wars, a refusal to ask for Congressional approval for one of them, throwing our allies under the bus, Reid/Pelosi and YOU would be apoplectic! Wow, if this is success, I’d hate to see what FAILURE looked like!

You're either a completely idiot on how race is viewed from different segments of the population or just a completely idiot. I'm not sure which, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say it's probably the former.

I. Don't. Care. about who's half this or full that. Matters not a whip. It was a glib comment made, if I have to actually spell it out for you, by one the people I grew up with on the south side of Chicago. Despite what you may think someone's "blackness" matters very much to black people, as loath as they are to have that fact aired out to whitey.

Being one of the only whitey's from where I grew up, I'm very familiar with the sentiment and never fully understood how they couldn't see the double-standard.

Once again...I...don't...care...how black/white/asian/etc/etc/etc someone is. Give me their policies and their performance and we'll go from there, not what color their skin is.

Plenty of politicians take tremendous heat from opposing forces, but they certainly do not just up and quit.

And most of them, like Bill Clinton, can establish multi-million dollar “Legal Defense Funds” to defend them from ethics charges, unlike Palin, who had to foot the bill personally, but beyond that yeah the positions are EXACTLY alike…

I'm not a Palin person by any stretch but I do not understand the dramatic overplayed tone towards her, her family and anything she might say. Its pretty fascinating how polarizing she is. She is no less qualified than Zero, who, if you're honest, has little in terms of a record - its all been scrubbed by his wealthy handlers. Disagree?

No need to Google for J's intellectual errors, we have them delivered.

She was asked about evolution and pointed out even Darwin conceded there were holes in the theory.

She asked about policy after some citizens wanted certain books removed for inappropriate language - unlike the Lefties who censor content all the time.

Named her daughter Piper - coincidentally one of the sisters in Charmed, also coincidentally the name of actress Laurie.

Jeremy said...

Palin, Cain, Newt, Pawlenty, Romney, Rudy...all losers.

Of course, that's how we measure losers, by how much they've accomplished in their lives; as opposed to Little Zero, whose only community he ever organized was later declared unfit for human habitation.

President Obama will beat any of them by 156 points.

Intellect over teabagger drivel..

The only drivel is Jeremy's whistling past the graveyard. 20+ percent unemployment, 10+ inflation, Medicare and Social Security tanking due to unrestrained borrowing; yes, Little Zero's intellect has wrought prodigies. And we've seen so much of that intellect in evidence the last week.

Scott - Stuttering intellect as in William F. Buckley?

Oh, and President Obama doesn't "stutter."

No, he just can't speak without a teleprompter. Often, he can't speak with it.